Interference: Shadow Runner (a Star Fox story)
by Lt. Cadonis
Summary: Fox McCloud is sent to drop off supplies for a remote settlement called Tundra Township, but not everything is as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1.**

 _There_ was a flash of gunfire and the silhouette of something big behind them. At this particular moment McCloud had forgotten which way they were heading. They were deep in the maintenance tunnel. He could feel someone's hand through the sleeve of his coat.

"Fox it's come for us!"

McCloud hesitated, he felt at a loss. Since their journey Fox had been undaunted, absolutely determined to lead them out of Abel Township alive. Now as his confidence leaked a kind of confusion fell over him.

Fox was closer to losing his head than he had ever been before. At his side Cadonis stood-apparently waiting for direction. Except there was no clear direction, only chaos. They were frantically bolting about as something considerably larger than they were moved clumsily among them. Fortunately neither he nor Cadonis or Nagy had moved directly into it's path.

Fox and Cadonis reunited in the darkness. He could sense a desperate air about him that verged on an angry impatience. To his surprise though he seemed less frightened than the others.

"What do you suggest?" asked the Lt.

A burst of blaster fire ensued. One round sailed between them. If it had been any nearer it would have clipped Cadonis' shoulder. Then came the terrifying screams as someone among them was torn to pieces. It was followed be an even eerier silence.

"Run!" cried Nagy.

As they went further down the piping system Fox struggled keeping his wits. It was getting darker, more cramped and stagnant. Here there wasn't a draft to be felt and it perturbed him not knowing where they were heading.

Eventually their luck would run out. Then what would be left of them? He tried not to think about it. But a smart soldier figured the odds, devised a plan ahead of time in case of an emergency. That was the difference between a brave soldier and a smart one.

Their bodies were being pushed together by the tunnel. It was Dr. Nagy ahead of them now, she was still as a glass plated window. Fox didn't bother to turn around, he thought she was looking behind them rather than himself.

"Spooner?" she asked.

McCloud turned, he was no where to be found. Water was pouring down from some place high. _There._ A faint glimmer of light hitting the surface of water gave him hope. It was in fact the little stream Volgairuh about ten feet wide. It seemed like a major river to them.

The lot of them stood dead, staring out at the sheer edge of the bank. The maintanence tunnel had caved in here allowing the river inside. But for some reason it wasn't coming their way. No. It went directly below them.

One by one the others came up, stopped at the edge of the bank and looked at the water without speaking. Fox realized wearily that they'd have to climb on either side of the tunnel to get out and avoid the water.

He felt Kilpan brush up against him from behind "Can we start, Fox?"

McCloud turned to Cadonis, who had moved just slightly enough for him to see the gun in his paw. They were looking at him, waiting, watching. Fox shrugged off the apparent daze he'd been under previously.

He roused "Go. I'll wait for Spooner."

"You idiot! Lot of good you'll be to us dead." Cadonis replied.

Despite the abruptness of that comment Fox wasn't about to hold it against him. For although the Lt. seemed anxious he was in no hurry himself to leave Fox behind. McCloud reluctantly admired his sand.

A pause fell over the others "Well, get on with it!" Cadonis shouted.

Dr. Nagy lost her footing, splayed her claws and grunted. The water coming down made it difficult, impossible even to climb. But nearly all of them had made their way out of the tunnel when another body appeared.

It was Spooner, shaken up but alright. He had a kind of horror on his face, with great big staring eyes. They rushed him over to the river.

"Cmon, cmon! Hurry!" Nagy and Kiplan pulled Spooner out.

Fox startled again and again while Cadonis was wondering-not for the first time-if he had heard sounds of pursuit. A cold stiff breeze came rushing down on them. They trembled but managed to escape. Even though the embankment had given them a thin time.


	2. Chapter 2

Until recently Fox had been more than happy to leave Tundra Township behind. Now as he looked out over the desert landscape a feeling of vulnerability came over him. His arms dropped down to his sides. Cadonis approached him.

"They like the shadow, I don't think it will follow us here." he stated.

Fox thought again, mostly about their predicament but partially about Cadonis and how grateful he was to have him. The last thing Fox had expected when they left Tundra Township was the support of one of their own officers.

His seemingly arrogant nature had at first repelled Fox. _'Maybe it isn't arrogance,'_ he thought _'so much as it is backbone.'_ It was only too likely they would encounter the shadowy creature on their way to Fox's ship. They would need a good fighter, some muscle in a pinch. After all it was the Lieutenant who had coerced the dismayed group forward when they had gotten lost in the tunnels.

The days leading up to their departure Fox, Kiplan and Virginity had concluded the residents weren't going missing from 'cave ins'. If Dr. Nagy was right and the whole Township was in imminent peril, then of course every resident had a right to know. However the Tundra Core was doing everything they could to keep it a secret.

For whatever reason they felt responsible. Those who were willing to talk said an 'accident', an extreme electrical explosion brought the being to life. But would they ever know for sure? To an engineer, to Kiplan's mind it seemed possible. Recently on more than one occasion the Township's generators had shut down completely.

Although the creature and electrical failings may have been completely unrelated Kiplan theorized that it was in fact starving for energy, looking for a source to drain its power. Certainly there were lots of speculation surrounding the mysterious creature. One thing they knew for certain, it wasn't friendly.

"I see the ship!" an excited voice broke in on Fox's thoughts "Its not far now, c'mon."

Fox struggled to see through a rippling mirage of heat reflected off the desert crust. He could faintly make out the profile of his aircraft among the rocks. It was about three hundred yards away, give or take.

Evidently something spoiled the moment, the smile on Spooner's face faded. Nagy seemed about to speak when something left the tunnel behind them. Cadonis stopped, turned and stared. Fox tensed.

"Can it see us?" whispered Kiplan.

A long pause fell over them. Fox was working over the image in his mind, trying to make sense of it as Kiplan spoke. He didn't know why his mouth couldn't move or why at present the world went absolutely silent.

It stood head and shoulders above them with a menacing slant. As the creature emerged the armor on it singed and smoked in the sunlight.

Sensing it had nothing in common with him nor his companions Fox stood ridged, his nose working rapidly. Virginity screamed. Kiplan licked his lips, opened and shut his mouth as most animals do when something disgusts them. There was an awfully strong odor of blood.

The head moved slowly from one direction to the other, taking in its surroundings and once more fixed it's terrible stare on them. Then Cadonis who was nearest to the river slipped back among the others.

"Let's get away." He muttered as he passed through them.

The Lieutenant immediately went down an embankment, stumbled across another parallel path and took it. The rest followed him. All six broke into a run, Fox came around the furthest side of the padded down trail and put on a last burst of speed.

A moment later and he was coming up to them. They were all squatting, puzzled and uncertain. He had no idea what was happening, only that Cadonis seemed more agitated than ever.

"It's under the ship." Nagy whispered.

It occurred to Fox at that moment the creature had to be quick. It only added to a tangled mess of excitement and peril.

"It leaps from shadow to shadow, we watched it." said Virginity "I've never seen anything like it."

Cadonis held his gun that much tighter. Fox saw him, fighting it out was pointless. It was plain to Fox anyway, that there was no chance of beating the creature in a gunfight. _'If only they could lure it away from the ship.'_ thought Fox _'But how?'_

The northern wind had dropped and brought a sting of sand with it. Virginity peered through the rocks, it was watching crouched almost flat to the ground, pacing the shadows like some sort of frightful beast in captivity.

Once again the creature moved from the concealment of ship shadow, this time leaping to another one nearby. Now it appeared stuck, so it was forced back to the ship. Fox speculated.

"I have an idea!" Fox raved "Cadonis," he started quickly "the rocks-we can trap it in their shadow. Can you understand?"

Presently the Lieutenant could not grasp what he meant. Whatever babble he was talking about seemed nonsense.

"He's right!" sprang Virginity "Don't you see! It uses the shadows to move from one area to another. Haven't you ever tried crossing a river? When a stepping stone is to far away you'll fall in." she explained.

This at last was something the Lieutenant savvied. Fox forced his head back to the ship, he reached for a rock and pulled himself overtop. There was a gentle rise of sand and gravel before it sloped down to flats.

Someone's paw was flat on his back, they were crawling next to him. It was Spooner, he shifted away and shared his view.

"How the devil will we get it away from the ship?" said Spooner, looking intently at Fox.

"Whoever's fastest, I reckon." replied Fox.

It was an abrupt answer, one that could cost him their loyalty. Briefly he could feel an objectionable silence. Soon though they drew the same conclusion having run the plan over themselves. There was no question as to who they'd send, and one by one they were staring either at Cadonis or himself.

The Lieutenant was about to reply when Kiplan spoke first.

"Cadonis," he spoke "why don't you? I swear you must have gazelle in your blood."

"I see," said Cadonis grudgingly "I suppose I'll just run there and back as many times you like, eh? Always happy to help!"

Without so much a hiccup he was down the slope, starting across the flat when Fox ducked back behind the rocks. They watched, terrified.


End file.
